ROBOTIC SYSTEM FOR SHOULDER ARTHROPLASTY USING STEMLESS IMPLANT COMPONENTS

Abstract

 A robotic system includes a machining station and a guidance station. The guidance station tracks movement of various objects in the operating room, such as a surgical tool, a humerus of a patient, and a scapula of the patient. The guidance station tracks these objects for purposes of displaying their relative positions and orientations to the surgeon and, in some cases, for purposes of controlling movement of the surgical tool relative to virtual cutting boundaries or other virtual objects associated with the humerus and scapula to facilitate preparation of bone to receive a shoulder implant system.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/582,626, filed on November 7, 2017, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to robotic systems and, more particularly, to robotic systems for shoulder arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Robotic systems used in surgery are well known. One such system comprises a robotic manipulator and a cutting tool for sculpting a bone into a desired shape. The cutting tool is coupled to the robotic manipulator to remove material from the bone for purposes of creating space to receive an implant. Typically, these systems are used to prepare bones for hip implants and knee implants. As the world population continues to live longer, there is a growing need for arthroplasty. Owing to the relatively greater need for hip arthroplasty and knee arthroplasty, prior art robotic systems focus on preparing bones for hip and knee procedures. There remains a need for robotic systems for shoulder arthroplasty to provide higher accuracy and more precision in replacing shoulder joints.

[0004] Shoulder arthroplasty procedures commonly involve preparing a patient's humerus to receive a stemmed implant and preparing the patient's glenoid cavity to receive a glenoid implant. However, in some cases, instead of preparing the humerus to receive a stemmed implant, the humerus is prepared for a stemless implant. Generally speaking, stemless implants are bone-sparing, meaning that less bony material is required to be removed from the patient as compared to stemmed implants. This can provide several advantages to the patient. Yet, because a stem is not placed in the humerus, i.e., in a humeral canal that can enhance stability of the implant, there is a desire and need for stemless implants and procedures that securely place such stemless implants in the humerus.

SUMMARY

[0005] A robotic surgery system is provided for preparing a bone of a shoulder joint to receive a shoulder implant. The shoulder implant has a proximal body, a distal body, and a locking member. The robotic surgery system comprises a robotic manipulator and a cutting tool to be coupled to the robotic manipulator. A localizer is configured to track movement of the cutting tool and the bone. A controller is coupled to the robotic manipulator and the localizer. The controller is configured to operate the robotic manipulator to control movement of the cutting tool relative to the bone based on one or more virtual objects associated with the shoulder implant. The one or more virtual objects define a volume of material to be removed from the bone to form a first cavity sized to receive the distal body of the shoulder implant and to form a second cavity sized to receive the locking member. The second cavity defines an undercut in the bone whereby the locking member is movable from an unlocked position in the first cavity to a locked position in the second cavity to limit withdrawal of the shoulder implant from the bone.

[0006] A method is provided for performing robotic surgery with a robotic manipulator and a cutting tool coupled to the robotic manipulator to prepare a bone of a shoulder joint to receive a shoulder implant. The shoulder implant has a proximal body, a distal body, and a locking member. The method comprises tracking movement of the cutting tool and tracking movement of the bone. Movement of the cutting tool relative to the bone is controlled based on one or more virtual objects associated with the shoulder implant to form a first cavity in the bone sized to receive the distal body of the shoulder implant and to form a second cavity in the bone sized to receive the locking member. The second cavity defines an undercut in the bone whereby the locking member is movable from an unlocked position in the first cavity to a locked position in the second cavity to limit withdrawal of the shoulder implant from the bone.

[0007] A method for planning the placement of a shoulder implant performed by a controller of a robotic surgery system is further provided. The robotic surgery system comprises a robotic manipulator and a cutting tool coupled to the robotic manipulator to prepare a bone of a shoulder joint to receive the shoulder implant. The shoulder implant has a proximal body, a distal body and a locking member. The planning method comprises planning movement of the cutting tool relative to the bone based on one or more virtual objects. The virtual objects are associated with the shoulder implant to form a first cavity in the bone sized to receive the distal body of the shoulder implant and to form a second cavity in the bone sized to receive the locking member. The second cavity defines an undercut in the bone and the locking member is movable from an unlocked position in the first cavity to a locked position in the second cavity to limit withdrawal of the shoulder implant from the bone.

[0008] Another robotic surgery system is provided for preparing a bone of a shoulder joint to receive a shoulder implant system. The shoulder implant system has a proximal body, a distal body, and a locking member. The robotic surgery system comprises a robotic manipulator and a cutting tool to be coupled to the robotic manipulator. A localizer is configured to track movement of the cutting tool and the bone. A controller is coupled to the robotic manipulator and the localizer. The controller is configured to operate the robotic manipulator to control movement of the cutting tool relative to the bone based on one or more one or more virtual objects associated with the shoulder implant system. The one or more virtual objects defines a volume of material to be removed from the bone to form a first cavity sized to receive the distal body of the shoulder implant and to form a second cavity sized to receive the locking member whereby the locking member limits withdrawal of the shoulder implant system from the bone.

[0009] Another method is provided for performing robotic surgery with a robotic manipulator and a cutting tool coupled to the robotic manipulator to prepare a bone of a shoulder joint to receive a shoulder implant system. The shoulder implant system has a proximal body, a distal body, and a locking member. The method comprises tracking movement of the cutting tool and tracking movement of the bone. Movement of the cutting tool relative to the bone is controlled based on one or more virtual objects associated with the shoulder implant system to form a first cavity in the bone sized to receive the distal body of the shoulder implant and to form a second cavity in the bone sized to receive the locking member, whereby the locking member limits withdrawal of the shoulder implant system from the bone.

[0010] A method for planning the placement of a shoulder implant system performed by a controller of a robotic surgery system is further provided. The robotic surgery system comprises a robotic manipulator and a cutting tool coupled to the robotic manipulator to prepare a bone of a shoulder joint to receive the shoulder implant system. The shoulder implant system has a proximal body, a distal body, and a locking member. The planning method comprises planning movement of the cutting tool relative to the bone based on one or more virtual objects. The one or more virtual objects are associated with the shoulder implant system to form a first cavity in the bone sized to receive the distal body of the shoulder implant and to form a second cavity in the bone sized to receive the locking member. The locking member limits withdrawal of the shoulder implant system from the bone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Advantages of the present disclosure will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a robotic system for shoulder arthroplasty.

Figure 2 is an illustration of a shoulder joint requiring arthroplasty.

Figure 3 is an illustration of a shoulder implant system replacing the natural shoulder joint.

Figure 4 is an illustration of a navigation pointer being used to locate landmarks on a humerus.

Figure 5 is an illustration of a virtual object defining a resection plane for a humeral head of the humerus.

Figure 6 is a perspective and partially exploded view of a humeral component of the shoulder implant system comprising a proximal body, a distal body, and a locking member.

Figure 7 is a side view of a resected humerus illustrating first and second cavities formed in the resected humerus to receive the humeral component.

Figure 8 is a top view of the resected humerus illustrating the first cavity formed in the resected humerus.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the resected humerus illustrating the second cavity formed in the resected humerus to receive the locking member.

Figure 9A is an illustration of virtual objects representing a volume of material to be removed from the resected humerus.

Figure 10 illustrates a sequence of steps taken to form the first and second cavities in the resected humerus and place the humeral component in the cavities.

Figure 10A is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a rotation limiting feature for the locking members.

Figure 11 is a top perspective view of an alternative distal body of the humeral component of the shoulder implant system.

Figure 12 is a bottom perspective view of the alternative distal body of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is an illustration of the alternative distal body of Figure 11 placed in the resected humerus.

Figure 13A is an illustration of a line haptic object for forming a pilot hole in the humerus.

Figure 13B is an illustration of the alternative distal body of Figure 11 placed in the resected humerus with a base flange of the distal body disposed in a pocket.

Figure 13C is a top view of the alternative distal body illustrated in Figure 13B.

Figure 13D is an illustration of an alternative preparation of the humerus to receive a second alternative distal body.

Figure 13E is a perspective view of the second alternative distal body.

Figure 13F is a perspective view of an alternative humeral head implant that could be placed in the humerus prepared as shown in Figure 13D.

Figure 13G is a bottom view of the second alternative distal body.

Figure 13H is a side elevational view of another alternative distal body, such as a reverse shoulder implant component having an articular surface to receive a head installed in the glenoid cavity.

Figures 14-19 illustrate various steps taken to prepare a glenoid cavity of the shoulder joint to receive a glenoid component of the shoulder implant system.

Figure 20 illustrates an alternative preparation of the glenoid cavity to receive a glenoid base component.

Figure 21 is a bottom perspective view of the glenoid base component.

Figure 22 is an illustration of the glenoid base component positioned in a pocket formed in the glenoid cavity and ready to receive a secondary glenoid component.

Figure 22A is a perspective view of another glenoid base component and another secondary glenoid component.

Figure 22B is a cross-sectional view of the glenoid base component and the secondary glenoid component of Figure 22A installed in the glenoid cavity.

Figure 23 is a perspective view of an alternative surgical tool for grasping implant components.

Figure 24 is a partial cross-sectional view of the surgical tool of Figure 23.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Referring to Figure 1, a robotic system 10 is illustrated for performing surgery on a patient. The version shown in Figure 1 comprises a material removal system for removing material from a workpiece (e.g., bone), but it should be appreciated that other types of robotic systems are also contemplated. The robotic system 10 is shown in a surgical setting such as an operating room of a medical facility. In the embodiment shown, the robotic system 10 includes a machining station 12 and a guidance station 20.

[0013] The guidance station 20 is set up to track movement of various objects in the operating room. Such objects include, for example, a surgical tool 22, a humerus H of a patient, and a scapula S of the patient. The guidance station 20 tracks these objects for purposes of displaying their relative positions and orientations to the surgeon and, in some cases, for purposes of controlling movement (e.g., causing movement, guiding movement, constraining movement, etc.) of the surgical tool 22 relative to virtual cutting boundaries or other virtual objects associated with the humerus H and scapula S.

[0014] The guidance station 20 includes a computer cart assembly 24 that houses a navigation controller 26. A navigation interface is in operative communication with the navigation controller 26. The navigation interface includes a first display 28 adapted to be situated outside of a sterile field and a second display 29 adapted to be situated inside the sterile field. The displays 28, 29 are adjustably mounted to the computer cart assembly 24. First and second input devices such as a keyboard and mouse can be used to input information into the navigation controller 26 or otherwise select/control certain aspects of the navigation controller 26. Other input devices are contemplated including a touch screen 30 or voice-activation.

[0015] A localizer 34 communicates with the navigation controller 26. In the embodiment shown, the localizer 34 is an optical localizer and includes a camera unit 36. Other types of localizers are also contemplated, including localizers that employ ultrasound, radio frequency (RF) signals, electromagnetic fields, and the like. The camera unit 36 has an outer casing 38 that houses one or more optical position sensors 40. In some embodiments at least two optical sensors 40 are employed, preferably three or four. The optical sensors 40 may be four separate charge-coupled devices (CCD). In one embodiment four, one-dimensional CCDs are employed. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments, separate camera units, each with a separate CCD, or two or more CCDs, could also be arranged around the operating room. The CCDs detect infrared (IR) signals.

[0016] The camera unit 36 is mounted on an adjustable arm to position the optical sensors 40 with a field of view of the below discussed trackers that, ideally, is free from obstructions. In some embodiments the camera unit 36 is adjustable in at least one degree of freedom by rotating about a rotational joint. In other embodiments, the camera unit 36 is adjustable about two or more degrees of freedom.

[0017] The camera unit 36 includes a camera controller 42 in communication with the optical sensors 40 to receive signals from the optical sensors 40. The camera controller 42 communicates with the navigation controller 26 through either a wired or wireless connection (not shown). One such connection may be an IEEE 1394 interface, which is a serial bus interface standard for high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer. The connection could also use a company specific protocol. In other embodiments, the optical sensors 40 communicate directly with the navigation controller 26.

[0018] Position and orientation signals and/or data are transmitted to the navigation controller 26 for purposes of tracking objects. The computer cart assembly 24, display 28, and camera unit 36 may be like those described in U.S. Patent No. 7,725,162 to Malackowski, et al. issued on May 25, 2010, entitled "Surgery System," hereby incorporated by reference.

[0019] The navigation controller 26 can be a personal computer or laptop computer. The navigation controller 26 has the display 28, central processing unit (CPU) and/or other processors, memory (not shown), and storage (not shown). The navigation controller 26 is loaded with software. The software converts the signals received from the camera unit 36 into data representative of the position and orientation of the objects being tracked.

[0020] The guidance station 20 is operable with a plurality of tracking devices 44, 46, 48, also referred to herein as trackers. In the illustrated embodiment, one tracker 44 is firmly affixed to the humerus H of the patient and another tracker 46 is firmly affixed to the scapula S of the patient. The trackers 44, 46 are firmly affixed to sections of bone. The trackers 44, 46 could be mounted like those shown in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0200621, published on July 17, 2014, entitled, "Navigation Systems and Methods for Indicating and Reducing Line-of-Sight Errors," the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The trackers 44, 46 could be mounted to other tissue types or parts of the anatomy. Various types of trackers could be employed, including rigid trackers or flexible trackers like those shown in U.S. Patent No. 8,457,719 to Moctezuma de la Barrera et al., entitled "Flexible Tracking Article and Method of Using the Same," filed on December 8, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference. For example, the SpineMask® Non-Invasive Tracker sold by Stryker Navigation (an operating division of Stryker Corporation), 4100 East Milham Ave., Kalamazoo, Michigan, could be employed.

[0021] A tool tracker 48 is firmly attached to the surgical tool 22. The tool tracker 48 may be integrated into the surgical tool 22 during manufacture or may be separately mounted to the surgical tool 22 in preparation for surgical procedures. In the embodiment shown, the surgical tool 22 is attached to a manipulator 56 of the machining station 12. Such an arrangement is shown in U.S. Patent No. 9,119,655, issued September 1, 2015, entitled, "Surgical Manipulator Capable of Controlling a Surgical Instrument in Multiple Modes," the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0022] A separate tracker (not shown) may be attached to a base 57 of the manipulator 56 to track movement of the base 57 in some embodiments. In this case, the working end of the surgical tool 22 may be tracked via the base tracker by virtue of additional encoder data being provided by encoders in joints of the manipulator 56, which provide joint position data that can be collectively processed to generate information regarding a location of the working end of the surgical tool 22 relative to the base 57. The working end of the surgical tool 22, which is being tracked by virtue of the tool tracker 48 (or base tracker in some cases), may be an energy applicator EA such as a rotating bur, saw blade, electrical ablation device, or the like. The energy applicator EA may be a separate component that is releasably connected to a handpiece of the surgical tool 22 or may be integrally formed with the handpiece.

[0023] The trackers 44, 46, 48 can be battery powered with an internal battery or may have leads to receive power through the navigation controller 26, which, like the camera unit 36, receives external power.

[0024] The optical sensors 40 of the localizer 34 receive light signals from the trackers 44, 46, 48. In the illustrated embodiment, the trackers 44, 46, 48 are active trackers. In this embodiment, each tracker 44, 46, 48 has at least three active tracking elements or markers for transmitting light signals to the optical sensors 40. The active markers can be, for example, light emitting diodes or LEDs 50 (see Figure 2) transmitting light, such as infrared light. The optical sensors 40 preferably have sampling rates of 100 Hz or more, more preferably 300 Hz or more, and most preferably 500 Hz or more. In some embodiments, the optical sensors 40 have sampling rates of 8000 Hz. The sampling rate is the rate at which the optical sensors 40 receive light signals from sequentially fired LEDs (not shown). In some embodiments, the light signals from the LEDs 50 are fired at different rates for each tracker 44, 46, 48.

[0025] Each of the LEDs 50 are connected to a tracker controller (not shown) located in a housing of the associated tracker 44, 46, 48 that transmits/receives data to/from the navigation controller 26. In one embodiment, the tracker controllers transmit data on the order of several Megabytes/second through wired connections with the navigation controller 26. In other embodiments, a wireless connection may be used. In these embodiments, the navigation controller 26 has a transceiver (not shown) to receive the data from the tracker controller.

[0026] In other embodiments, the trackers 44, 46, 48 may have passive markers (not shown), such as reflectors that reflect light emitted from the camera unit 36. The reflected light is then received by the optical sensors 40. Active and passive arrangements are well known in the art.

[0027] In some embodiments, the trackers 44, 46, 48 also include a gyroscope sensor and accelerometer, such as the trackers shown in U.S. Patent No. 9,008,757, issued on April 14, 2015, entitled, "Navigation System Including Optical and Non-Optical Sensors," the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0028] The navigation controller 26 includes a navigation processor 52. It should be understood that the navigation processor 52 could include one or more processors to control operation of the navigation controller 26. The processors can be any type of microprocessor or multi-processor system. The navigation controller 26 may additionally or alternatively comprise one or more microcontrollers, field programmable gate arrays, systems on a chip, discrete circuitry, and/or other suitable hardware, software, or firmware that is capable of carrying out the functions described herein. The term processor is not intended to limit the scope of any embodiment to a single processor.

[0029] The camera unit 36 receives optical signals from the LEDs 50 of the trackers 44, 46, 48 and outputs to the processor 52 signals relating to the position of the LEDs 50 of the trackers 44, 46, 48 relative to the localizer 34. Based on the received optical (and non-optical signals in some embodiments), navigation processor 52 generates data indicating the relative positions and orientations of the trackers 44, 46, 48 relative to the localizer 34 using triangulation and/or other techniques.

[0030] Prior to the start of the surgical procedure, additional data are loaded into the navigation processor 52. Based on the position and orientation of the trackers 44, 46, 48 and the previously loaded data, the navigation processor 52 determines the position of the working end of the surgical tool 22 (e.g., the centroid of a surgical bur, cutting envelope of a sagittal saw, etc.) and the orientation of the surgical tool 22 relative to the tissue against which the working end is to be applied. In some embodiments, the navigation processor 52 forwards these data to a manipulator controller 54. The manipulator controller 54 can then use the data to control the manipulator 56 as described in U.S. Patent No. 9,119,655, issued September 1, 2015, entitled, "Surgical Manipulator Capable of Controlling a Surgical Instrument in Multiple Modes," the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0031] In one embodiment, the surgical tool 22 is controlled to stay within one or more preoperatively defined virtual boundaries set by the surgeon, which defines the material (e.g., tissue) of the humerus H and scapula S to be removed by the surgical tool 22. These boundaries are defined by virtual objects stored in memory in the robotic system 10 (e.g., in the navigation controller 26 and/or the manipulator controller 54). The boundaries may be defined within a virtual model of the humerus H and scapula S and be represented as a mesh surface, constructive solid geometry (CSG), voxels, or may be represented using other boundary representation techniques. The boundaries may also be defined separately from virtual models of the humerus H and scapula S.

[0032] The navigation processor 52 also generates image signals that indicate the relative position of the working end of the surgical tool 22 to the tissue to be removed. These image signals are applied to the displays 28, 29. The displays 28, 29, based on these signals, generate images that allow the surgeon and staff to view the relative position of the working end to the surgical site. The displays, 28, 29, as discussed above, may include a touch screen or other input/output device that allows entry of commands.

[0033] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the surgical tool 22 forms part of an end effector of the manipulator 56. The manipulator 56 has a plurality of links 58 extending from the base 57, and a plurality of active joints (not numbered) for moving the surgical tool 22 with respect to the base 57. The links 58 may form a serial robotic arm structure as shown, a parallel robotic arm structure (not shown), or other suitable structure.

[0034] The manipulator 56 has the ability to operate in one or more of: (1) a free mode in which a user grasps the end effector of the manipulator 56 in order to cause movement of the surgical tool 22 (e.g., directly, through force/torque sensor measurements that cause active driving of the manipulator 56, passively, or otherwise); (2) a haptic mode in which the user grasps the end effector of the manipulator 56 to cause movement as in the free mode, but is restricted in movement by the virtual boundaries defined by the virtual objects stored in the robotic system 10; (3) a semi-autonomous mode in which the surgical tool 22 is moved by the manipulator 56 along a tool path (e.g., the active joints of the manipulator 56 are operated to move the surgical tool 22 without requiring force/torque on the end effector from the user); (4) a service mode in which the manipulator 56 performs preprogrammed automated movements to enable servicing; or (5) other modes to facilitate preparation of the manipulator 56 for use, e.g., for draping, etc. Examples of operation in the haptic mode and the semi-autonomous mode are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,010,180, issued August 30, 2011, entitled, "Haptic Guidance System and Method" and U.S. Patent No. 9,119,655, issued September 1, 2015, entitled, "Surgical Manipulator Capable of Controlling a Surgical Instrument in Multiple Modes," the entire disclosures of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0035] During operation in the haptic mode, for certain surgical tasks, the user manually manipulates (e.g., manually moves or manually causes the movement of) the manipulator 56 to manipulate the surgical tool 22 to perform the surgical procedure on the patient, such as drilling, cutting, reaming, implant installation, and the like. As the user manipulates the surgical tool 22, the guidance station 20 tracks the location of the surgical tool 22 and/or the manipulator 56 and provides haptic feedback (e.g., force feedback) to the user to limit the user's ability to manually move (or manually cause movement of) the surgical tool 22 beyond one or more predefined virtual boundaries that are registered (mapped) to the patient's anatomy, which results in highly accurate and repeatable drilling, cutting, reaming, and/or implant placement.

[0036] The manipulator controller 54 may have a central processing unit (CPU) and/or other manipulator processors, memory (not shown), and storage (not shown). The manipulator controller 54 is loaded with software as described below. The manipulator processors could include one or more processors to control operation of the manipulator 56. The processors can be any type of microprocessor, multi-processor, and/or multi-core processing system. The manipulator controller 54 may additionally or alternatively comprise one or more microcontrollers, field programmable gate arrays, systems on a chip, discrete circuitry, and/or other suitable hardware, software, or firmware that is capable of carrying out the functions described herein. The term processor is not intended to limit any embodiment to a single processor.

[0037] In one version, in the haptic mode, the manipulator controller 54 determines the desired location to which the surgical tool 22 should be moved based on forces and torques applied by the user on the surgical tool 22. In this version, most users are physically unable to actually move the manipulator 56 any appreciable amount to reach the desired position, but the manipulator 56 emulates the user's desired positioning by sensing the applied forces and torques and reacting in a way that gives the user the impression that the user is actually moving the surgical tool 22 even though active motors on the joints are performing the movement. For example, based on the determination of the desired location to which the user wishes to move, and information relating to the current location (e.g., pose) of the surgical tool 22, the manipulator controller 54 determines the extent to which each of the plurality of links 58 needs to be moved in order to reposition the surgical tool 22 from the current location to the desired location. The data regarding where the plurality of links 58 are to be positioned is forwarded to joint motor controllers (not shown) (e.g., one for controlling each motor) that control the active joints of the manipulator 56 to move the plurality of links 58 and thereby move the surgical tool 22 from the current location to the desired location.

[0038] A user control pendant assembly 60 may be used to interface with the manipulator controller 54 in the semi-autonomous mode and/or to switch between the free mode, haptic mode, semi-autonomous mode, service mode, and/or other modes. The user control pendant assembly 60 includes a processor or pendant controller 62. The pendant controller 62 may have a central processing unit (CPU) and/or other pendant processors, memory (not shown), and storage (not shown). The pendant controller 62 is in communication with the manipulator controller 54. The pendant controller 62 is also in communication with switches (not shown) associated with user controls such as buttons 64, 68, 70. The pendant processor could include one or more processors to transmit signals resulting from pressing of buttons 64, 68, 70 on the user control pendant assembly 60 to the manipulator controller 54. Once the practitioner is ready to begin autonomous advancement of the surgical tool 22, in the semi-autonomous mode, for example, the practitioner depresses button 64 (and may be required to hold down button 64 to continue autonomous operation). In some versions, based on the depression of buttons 68 and 70, a feed rate (e.g., velocity) of the working end of the surgical tool 22 may be controlled.

[0039] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, pre-operative imaging and/or intra-operative imaging may be employed to visualize the patient's anatomy that requires treatment - such as the patient's shoulder joint. The surgeon plans where to place a shoulder implant system 100 with respect to the images and/or with respect to one or more 3-D models created from the images, such as 3-D models of the humerus H and the scapula S created from CT scan data, MRI data, or the like. Such models may also be based on generic bone models morphed to resemble patient specific anatomy. Planning includes determining a pose of each implant component of the shoulder implant system 100 with respect to the particular bone in which they are being placed, e.g., by identifying the desired pose of the implant component in the images and/or the appropriate 3-D model. This may include creating or positioning a separate 3-D model of the implant components with respect to the 3-D models of the patient's anatomy. Once the plan is set, then the plan is transferred to the robotic system 10 for execution. The 3-D models may comprise mesh surfaces, constructive solid geometries (CSG), voxels, or may be represented using other 3-D modeling techniques.

[0040] The robotic system 10 may be employed to prepare the humerus H and a glenoid cavity G of a scapula S to receive the shoulder implant system 100. In this case, the shoulder implant system 100 comprises a humeral component 102 and a glenoid component 104. The humerus H is prepared by the robotic system 10 to receive the humeral component 102, which in some embodiments is stemless and the glenoid cavity G is prepared by the robotic system 10 to receive the glenoid component 104.

[0041] Virtual boundaries, pre-defined tool paths, and/or other autonomous movement instructions, that correspond to the desired placement of the humeral component 102 and the glenoid component 104 are created to control movement of the manipulator 56 so that the working end of the surgical tool 22 (e.g., bur, drill, saw) are controlled in a manner that ultimately places the components 102, 104 according to the user's plan. This may comprise ensuring during the surgical procedure that the surgical tool 22 (or cutting accessory attached to it) stays within a pre-defined cutting volume delineating the bounds of the material to be removed to receive the implant. This may also comprise, for example, ensuring during the surgical procedure that a trajectory of the surgical tool 22 is aligned with a desired pose of peg holes, that the trajectory of the surgical tool 22 is aligned with a desired pose of pilot holes for anchoring screws, and the like. This may further comprise ensuring that a plane of the surgical tool 22 (e.g., for a sagittal saw) is aligned with a desired pose of a planar resection.

[0042] The robotic system 10 and/or the user may pre-operatively plan the desired cutting volume, trajectories, planar cuts, etc. For example, the desired cutting volumes may simply correspond to the geometry of the implants being used. Furthermore, these cutting volumes may be virtually located and registered to the anatomy by virtue of the user planning the location of the implants relative to the 3-D models of the humerus H and scapula S and registering the 3-D models of the implants, along with the 3-D models of the humerus H and the scapula S to the actual humerus H and scapula S during the procedure.

[0043] In one specific embodiment, the placement of the shoulder implant system 100 is planned by the navigation controller 26 or any other computer system. The shoulder implant system 100 comprises a proximal body 114, a distal body 120 and a locking member 126. The planning is based on one or more virtual objects, which are associated with the shoulder implant. The virtual objects may define a volume of material that has to be removed from the bone in order to receive a part of the shoulder implant system 100. The virtual objects may also define virtual planes or comprise virtual cutting boundaries, as will be described below. Based on the virtual objects, the movement of the tool 22 is planned by the navigation controller 26. Therefore, the navigation controller 26 may use the 3-D models of the humerus H, the 3-D models of the scapula S and/or the 3-D models of the implants and may create a virtual surgery environment.

[0044] Movement of the cutting tool 22 is planned to form a first cavity 130 in the bone sized to receive the distal body 120 of the shoulder implant and to form a second cavity 132 in the bone sized to receive the locking member 126. The formation of the first and second cavities 130, 132 will be described in detail below.

[0045] In one embodiment of the planning method, the second cavity 132 defines an undercut in the bone, as depicted in Figs. 6 to 10A. In this embodiment, the locking member 126 is movable from an unlocked position in the first cavity 130 to a locked position in the second cavity 132.

[0046] The placement of a different kind of a shoulder implant system 100 may also be planned as explained above. Herein, the shoulder implant system also comprises the proximal body 114, but comprises different distal bodies 120, 150, 178, as shown in Figs. 11 to 13. Further, screws 180 can additionally be used as a locking member. According to this embodiment, the planning of the formation of an undercut in the bone defined by a second cavity 132 is not necessary.

[0047] As a result, the placement of the shoulder implant system 100 can be planned such that the locking member 126, 180 limits withdrawal of the shoulder implant system 100 from the bone. Thus, the fixation of the implant system 100 to the bone can be improved.

[0048] The robotic system 10 and/or the user may also intra-operatively plan the desired cutting volume, trajectories, planar cuts, etc. or may intra-operatively adjust the cutting volumes, trajectories, planar cuts, etc. that were defined pre-operatively. For example, in the free mode, the user could position a drill or bur at a desired entry point relative to the anatomy of interest, e.g., the humerus, and orient the drill or bur until the display 28, 29 shows that the trajectory of a rotational axis of the drill or bur is in a desired orientation. Once the user is satisfied with the trajectory, the user provides input to the robotic system 10 to set this trajectory as the desired trajectory to be maintained during the procedure. The input could be provided via input devices such as the mouse, keyboard, touchscreen, push button, foot pedal, etc. coupled to the navigation controller 26 or the manipulator controller 54. This same procedure can be followed for the user to set a desired planar cut, etc. 3-D models of the cutting volumes, desired trajectory, desired planar cuts, etc. are stored in memory for retrieval during the procedure.

[0049] One or more boundaries used by the robotic system 10 could be defined by a navigation pointer 106 by touching anatomy of interest with the navigation pointer 106 and capturing associated points on the anatomy with the guidance station 20. For example, the navigation pointer 106 (Figures 1 and 4) could be used to outline the boundary. Additionally, or alternatively, the navigation pointer 106 could be used to delineate soft tissue or other sensitive anatomical structures to be avoided by the surgical tool 22. These points, for example, could be loaded into the robotic system 10 to adjust the tool path to be followed in the semi-autonomous mode so that the surgical tool 22 avoids these areas. Other methods could be used to delineate and/or define anatomy of interest, e.g., as being anatomy to be removed, anatomy to be avoided, etc.

[0050] A line haptic object LH (see briefly Figure 13A) may be created and stored in the robotic system 10 to constrain movement of the surgical tool 22 to stay along the desired trajectory. The line haptic object LH may have a starting point SP, as described further below and a target point TP, which defines a desired depth of the drill. A planar haptic object PH (see Figure 5) may be created for constraining movement of the surgical tool 22 to stay along a desired plane. Other haptic object shapes, sizes, etc. are also contemplated, including those that define volumes of material to be removed to receive the components 102, 104, as described further below. It should also be appreciated that other forms of virtual objects, other than haptic objects, could be employed to establish boundaries for the surgical tool 22, wherein such boundaries may be represented on one or more of the displays 28, 29 to show the user when the working end of the surgical tool 22 is approaching, reaching, and/or exceeding such boundaries.

[0051] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the humerus H is shown. The description that follows relates to preparation of the humerus H to receive the humeral component 102, but it should be appreciated that, during a surgical procedure, either of the humerus H or the glenoid cavity G may be prepared first to receive its associated implant component, or some combination of alternating preparation could be employed. The humerus H is prepared by first defining a resection plane along which a humeral head HH is to be resected from a remaining portion of the humerus H. This resection is planar in some embodiments, but may comprise a more complex surface topology in other embodiments. For example, the resection could provide a contoured surface, an undulating surface of ridges, or the like.

[0052] One of several options may be employed to determine the location of the resection of the humeral head HH, and by extension the location of the planar haptic object PH. In one case, a surgeon may prefer to make the resection along an anatomical neck AN. In this case, referring to Figure 4, the surgeon may establish a virtual resection plane for the resection by using the navigation pointer 106, which comprises its own tracker 108 for purposes of determining a location of its tip 110. Navigation pointers 106 are used in registering pre-operative images or models to actual anatomy being treated during a surgical procedure. Here, the navigation pointer 106 may be used to register a pre-operative 3-D model (e.g., one generated from CT scan data, MRI data, or the like) of the humerus H to the actual humerus H and also to define the resection of the humeral head HH.

[0053] In order to define the resection of the humeral head HH, the user touches the tip 110 of the navigation pointer 106 to at least three locations along the anatomical neck AN, and the navigation controller 26 determines positions of these plurality of landmarks in a coordinate system registered to the humerus H (one or more coordinate systems may be employed). Once the positions of the landmarks are determined, the virtual resection plane can be defined as passing through each of the three points in the coordinate system. The location of the virtual resection plane defines a location of the planar haptic object PH shown in Figure 5.

[0054] Other methods of establishing the resection includes placing the resection plane at a predetermined angle (e.g., 135 degrees or other angle) with respect to a longitudinal axis LA of the humerus (e.g. relative to an intramedullary axis of the intramedullary canal) defined in the coordinate system. Yet another method of establishing the plane comprises selecting one or more landmarks on the humerus H, e.g., the greater tuberosity, lesser tuberosity, bicipital groove, and defining the resection based on the one or more landmarks, either alone, or in conjunction with the intramedullary axis of the intramedullary canal and/or in conjunction with an extramedullary axis or axis based on an outer shape of the humerus H.

[0055] Once the resection location has been determined, the robotic system 10 creates the virtual object required to guide operation of the manipulator 56 and the surgical tool 22 and stores the virtual object in memory. As shown in Figure 5, the surgical tool 22 comprises a sagittal saw blade 112. The virtual object, in this case the planar haptic object PH, is employed to constrain movement of the saw blade 112 so that the resection is made according to the surgeon's plan. This may include operating the manipulator 56 in the haptic mode and/or semi-autonomous mode to perform the resection. In the haptic mode, the user manually manipulates the surgical tool 22 while the manipulator 56 keeps the saw blade 112 confined within the planar haptic object PH via haptic feedback to the user.

[0056] Visual feedback can additionally be provided on the displays 28, 29, which depict a representation of the saw blade 112 and a representation of the humerus H and updates in substantially real-time such representations so that the user and/or others can visualize movement of the saw blade 112 relative to the humerus H during resection. The user operates the saw blade 112 to finish the resection and ready the humerus H for further preparation to receive the humeral component 102. In some versions, the humeral head HH is manually resected using a conventional sagittal saw outfitted with a separate navigation tracker so that the user can visualize a location of the saw blade 112 relative to the desired resection on the displays 28, 29 while manually resecting the humeral head HH.

[0057] In some embodiments, before sawing commences, the robotic system 10 autonomously aligns the saw blade 112 with the desired resection plane. Such autonomous positioning may be initiated by the user pulling a trigger (not shown) on the surgical tool 22, or otherwise providing input to the robotic system 10 to start the autonomous movement. In some cases, a reference point RP of the surgical tool 22 is first brought to within a predefined distance of a starting point SP of the planar haptic object PH (such as within a predefined starting sphere as shown or starting box). Once the reference point RP is within the predefined distance of the starting point SP, then pulling the trigger (or alternatively pressing a foot pedal or actuating some other input) causes the manipulator 56 to autonomously align and position the saw blade 112 on the desired plane. Once the saw blade 112 is in the desired pose, the robotic system 10 may effectively hold the surgical tool 22 on the desired plane (i.e., within the planar haptic object PH) by tracking movement of the patient and autonomously adjusting the manipulator 56 as needed to keep the saw blade 112 on the desired trajectory/plane.

[0058] While the robotic system 10 holds the saw blade 112 on the desired plane, the user may then manually manipulate the surgical tool 22 to move (or cause movement of) the saw blade 112 within the planar haptic object PH toward the bone to resect the humeral head HH. In some cases, such as in the haptic mode, the robotic system 10 constrains the user's movement of the surgical tool 22 to stay in the planar haptic object PH by providing haptic feedback to the user should the user attempt to move the surgical tool 22 in a manner that deviates from the planar haptic object PH and the desired plane. If the user desires to return the manipulator 56 to a free mode, for unconstrained movement of the surgical tool 22, the user can then pull the surgical tool 22 back along the planar haptic object PH, away from the patient, until an exit point of the planar haptic object PH is reached.

[0059] Referring to Figure 6, one embodiment of the humeral component 102 is shown. The humeral component 102 comprises a proximal body 114 having a semi-spherical head 116 and a taper 118 extending downwardly from the head 116. The head 116 is shaped to provide an articulating surface shaped to engage a corresponding articulating surface of the glenoid component 104 described further below. The proximal body 114 may be formed of metal, such as any suitable metal implant material, plastic material, combinations thereof, and the like.

[0060] The humeral component 102 further comprises a distal body 120. The distal body 120 comprises a base flange 122, a midsection 124 depending distally from the base flange 122, and a pair of locking members 126. A taper pocket 128 is defined in the base flange 122 and terminates in the midsection 124. The taper pocket 128 is sized and shaped to receive the taper 118. In the embodiment shown, the taper pocket 128 is centrally located in the distal body 120, but could be eccentrically located in other embodiments. The taper pocket 128 may be threaded or may otherwise have coupling features to engage the taper 118 (e.g., Morse taper, threads, etc.) and secure the proximal body 114 to the distal body 120. The distal body 120 may be formed of metal, such as any suitable metal implant material, plastic material, combinations thereof, and the like.

[0061] The base flange 122 includes a proximal end surface 123, a distal bone-engaging surface 125, and a side flange surface 127. Proximal end surface 123 may be flat as shown, but in other embodiments it may be inclined or sloped. Side flange surface 127 may have a uniform height, the height measured from distal to proximal ends of side flange surface 127, or the height may vary along proximal end surface 123. Distal bone-engaging surface 125 may include a porous surface, for example porous titanium alloy, across all or a portion of its surface to provide better fixation of the implanted base flange 122 with bone.

[0062] The midsection 124 is coupled to the base flange 122 at a first end and extends distally from the base flange 122 along the implant axis IA to a second end. In the illustrated embodiment, midsection 124 has a straight portion, which may be cylindrical, but may further comprise a conical portion (not shown) distal to the straight portion, which may be conical or frustoconical.

[0063] The taper pocket 128 may extend distally along implant axis IA from proximal end surface 123 of base flange 122. The taper pocket 128 may extend only partially into the distal body 120 along the implant axis IA or it may extend entirely through the distal body 120 and define a taper throughbore. The taper 118 of the proximal body 114 may be placed within the taper pocket 128 and attached thereto. The proximal body 114 (e.g., humeral head component) may be attached by any known securement methods including screw or friction fit. The distal body 120 may include additional holes for use with insertion/extraction tools and/or for accepting sutures.

[0064] In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the locking members 126 extend radially outwardly from the midsection 124. It should be appreciated that one or more locking members 126 may be utilized. The locking members 126 are sized and shaped to lock the distal body 120 to the humerus H by rotating into position in undercut portions of the humerus H. Referring to Figures 7 through 9, the undercut is formed when first and second cavities 130, 132 are created in the humerus H using the surgical tool 22. The first cavity 130 is sized and shaped to receive the locking members 126 and the midsection 124 when they are axially placed in the humerus H. The second cavity 132 is sized and shaped to receive the locking members 126 when the locking members 126 rotate into a locked position.

[0065] One or more volumetric virtual objects V1, V2 (see Figure 9A) define a volume of material to be removed from the humerus H to form the first cavity 130 and to form the second cavity 132 sized to receive the locking members 126. The second cavity 132 defines the undercut in the bone whereby the locking members 126 are movable from an unlocked position in the first cavity 130 to the locked position in the second cavity 132 to limit withdrawal of the distal body 120 from the humerus H.

[0066] The manipulator controller 54 is configured to operate the manipulator 56 to control movement of a drill, bur, saw blade, or other cutting tool, based on the one or more virtual objects V1, V2 to form the second cavity 132 about the implant axis IA so that the locking members 126 are rotatable about the implant axis IA from the unlocked position to the locked position. The one or more virtual objects V1, V2 are sized and shaped so that the locking members 126 are rotatable at least 10 degrees, at least 30 degrees, at least 90 degrees, or more, about the implant axis IA to move to the locked position. The one or more virtual objects V1, V2 are sized so that a distal portion of the volume of material to be removed from the humerus H extends below the anatomical neck AN of the humerus and terminates above a diaphysis DPH of the humerus H (see Figure 7) so that a substantial portion of a humeral canal remains intact after the distal body 120 is fully seated in the humerus H.

[0067] The one or more virtual objects V1, V2 are registered to the coordinate system to which the pre-operative model is registered (or are defined in the pre-operative model) to define one or more virtual cutting boundaries for the surgical tool 22 so that the user is limited from removing more material than needed to accurately position the distal body 120 securely within the humerus H. As previously described, the manipulator 56 may be operated in the haptic mode during cutting to generate haptic feedback to the user based on a position of the surgical tool 22 relative to the virtual cutting boundaries. For example, the manipulator 56 may be controlled by the manipulator controller 54 to generate haptic feedback in response to the working end of the surgical tool 22 reaching or exceeding a virtual cutting boundary defined by the virtual objects V1, V2.

[0068] Referring to Figures 9 and 9A, the virtual object V2 is defined so that the second cavity 132 is formed semi-cylindrical in shape so that as the locking members 126 are rotated in the second cavity 132 bone remains to act as a stop 133 to limit rotation of the locking members 126. Other shapes of the second cavity 132 are also possible. For instance, as described further below, the second cavity 132 may comprise a pilot hole that defines a pathway for an anchor (e.g., a screw) to be placed to secure the distal body 120 to the humerus H.

[0069] Referring to Figure 10, a series of steps are shown to illustrate formation of the first cavity 130 and the second cavity 132 based on the virtual objects V1, V2, which can be haptic objects as described above. In a first step S1, the surgical tool 22 employs, for example, a bur 142 to remove material from the humerus H to form the first cavity 130. The bur 142 may be used in the free mode (using visualization of the desired boundary of the first cavity 130 as a guide), in the haptic mode (using haptic feedback to keep the surgical tool 22 within the virtual cutting boundary associated with the first cavity 130), or in the semi-autonomous mode in which the manipulator 56 moves the surgical tool 22 autonomously to form the first cavity 130.

[0070] Owing to the attachment of the tracker 44 to the humerus H, the location of the working end of the surgical tool 22 relative to the humerus H can be visualized on the displays 28, 29, along with a visualization of the virtual objects V1, V2. For instance, isometric, side, top, cross-sectional, or other views of the humerus H may be displayed with graphical representations of the virtual objects V1, V2 overlaid on the representation of the humerus H. Similarly, a representation of the working end of the surgical tool 22 can be displayed in relation thereto and updated so that the user is able to visualize, in substantially real-time, a pose of the surgical tool 22 relative to the humerus H and the associated virtual cutting boundaries.

[0071] Once the first cavity 130 is formed, in a second step S2, the bur 142 is replaced by a rotating blade 144 that extends radially outwardly from a rotating shaft and can be placed into the first cavity 130 and then moved laterally from the first cavity 130 to form the second cavity 132 as shown in a third step S3. The blade 144 may be used in the free mode (using visualization of the desired boundary as a guide), in the haptic mode (using haptic feedback to keep the surgical tool 22 within the virtual cutting boundary), or in the semi-autonomous mode in which the manipulator 56 moves the surgical tool 22 autonomously to form the second cavity 132.

[0072] Once the second cavity 132 is formed, the humerus H is ready to receive the distal body 120 in a fourth step S4. The distal body 120 is inserted in the first cavity 130 until it bottoms out in the humerus H. At that point, in a fifth step S5, the distal body 120 is rotated so that the locking members 126 rotate into the undercut portions formed by the second cavity 132. Now the distal body 120 is secure in the humerus H. Additional fixation methods may be employed, such as screws, bone cement, and the like to further hold the distal body 120 in the cavities 130, 132. For instance, bone cement may be injected into one or both of the cavities 130, 132 prior to inserting the distal body 120.

[0073] In other variations, the second cavity 132 may be shaped so that the bone forms rotation limiting features to limit rotation. For example, rotation limiters such as ramps 131 may be provided along which the locking members 126 ride when being rotated into the undercut portions. See, for example, the ramps 131 shown in Figure 10A (only one shown, but one for each locking member 126 may be present). The locking members 126 may be flexible to act like detents so that the locking members 126 flex when being rotated through the ramps 131, the locking members 126 may be spring-loaded to flex, or the locking members 126 may be connected in various ways to the midsection 124 to fit over the ramps 131 while maintaining a stable fit once in their final position. Once the locking members 126 pass the ramps 131, they flex back into their normal position such that a back shoulder of the ramps 131 serves to limit rotation of the locking members 126 out of the undercut portions. The locking members 126 may be in the shape shown in Figure 6 or may comprise other shapes, such as locking pin shapes, ball-shapes, and the like.

[0074] In a sixth step S6, the proximal body 114 is brought into engagement with the distal body 120 and fixed to the distal body 120 to limit relative movement. The humeral component 102 is thus ready for engaging the glenoid component 104.

[0075] Referring to Figures 11 and 12, an alternative distal body 150 (also referred to as a base) is shown. Distal body 150 includes base flange 152 coupled with a central anchor 154. The base flange 152 may have a generally rounded cruciform shape, although in other examples, the base flange 152 may have other shapes including oblong or annular. The base flange 152 includes a proximal end surface 156, a distal bone-engaging surface 157, and a side base flange surface 160. Proximal end surface 156 may be flat as shown, but in other embodiments it may be inclined or sloped. Side base flange surface 160 may have a uniform height, the height measured from distal to proximal ends of side base flange surface 160, or the height may vary along proximal end surface 156. Distal bone-engaging surface 157 may include a porous surface, for example porous titanium alloy, across all or a portion of its surface to provide better fixation of the implanted distal body 150 with the bone.

[0076] Base flange 152 includes at least one hole 162 extending from proximal end surface 156 to distal bone-engaging surface 157. The holes 162 are each adapted to receive a screw. In the illustrated embodiment, there are four holes 162 and four screws, although there can be more or fewer holes and/or screws. The screws may be variable angle locking screws capable of being inserted through holes 162 at variable angles, with the heads of the screws having locking threads to mate with corresponding locking threads in the holes. The screws may engage the bone to provide fixation of the distal body 120 in the bone. The screws may have varying lengths to accommodate bone purchase to help with fixation, although any combination of screw lengths may be appropriate. In the illustrated embodiment, the medial screw has a length that is greater than the length of central anchor 154.

[0077] The distal body 150 includes central anchor 154 coupled to the base flange 152 at a first end and extending distally from the base flange 152 along the implant axis IA to a second end. In the illustrated embodiment, the central anchor 154 has a straight portion 164, which may be cylindrical, and a tapered portion 166, which may be conical or frustoconical. Tapered portion 166 is tapered along the implant axis IA so that the proximal end of the tapered portion 166 has a relatively large diameter, with the diameter of the central anchor 154 generally narrowing toward second end until the central anchor terminates in distal tip 168.

[0078] As with previous embodiments, the distal body 150 may further define an opening 170. Opening 170 may extend distally along the implant axis IA from proximal end surface 156 of base flange 152. Opening 170 may extend partially or fully through the central anchor 154 along the implant axis IA or it may be shallow and extend only into base flange 152. The proximal body 114 may be placed within opening 170 and attached thereto, for example by a taper lock such as a Morse taper. The proximal body 114 may be attached by any known securement means including screw or friction fit. The distal body 150 may include additional holes for use with insertion/extraction tools and/or for accepting sutures.

[0079] Figure 13 shows the distal body 150 implanted within the humerus H with variable angle locking screws. The benefit of using screws of different lengths is particularly well illustrated in Figure 13. For example, a screw that engages a hole 162 on the medial side of base flange 152 may be longer than the other screws, as there may be a greater depth of bone available in this area.

[0080] During preparation of the humerus H in this embodiment, the first virtual object V1 may be sized and shaped to correspond to the central anchor 154 to define the volume of material to be removed from the humerus H to receive the central anchor 154. One or more secondary virtual objects V2 may be sized and shaped to correspond to pilot holes to be placed in the humerus H for the one or more variable angle locking screws. For example, the secondary virtual objects may comprise trajectories, such as line haptic objects LH. In this embodiment, the locking screws comprise locking members that are used to resist withdrawal of the distal body 150 from the humerus H.

[0081] Referring to Figure 13A, in some embodiments, before forming the pilot holes, the robotic system 10 autonomously aligns the rotational axis R of the surgical tool 22 with the desired trajectory. Such autonomous positioning may be initiated by the user pulling a trigger on the surgical tool 22, or otherwise providing input to the robotic system 10 to start the movement. In some cases, a tool center point (TCP) of the surgical tool 22 is first brought to within a predefined distance of a starting point SP of the line haptic object LH that provides the desired trajectory (such as within a predefined starting sphere as shown). Once the TCP (e.g., bur centroid, drill tip center, etc.) is within the predefined distance of the starting point SP, then pulling the trigger (or alternatively pressing a foot pedal or actuating some other input) causes the manipulator 56 to autonomously align and position the surgical tool 22 on the desired trajectory. Once the surgical tool 22 is in the desired pose, the robotic system 10 may effectively hold the surgical tool 22 on the desired trajectory by tracking movement of the patient and autonomously adjusting the manipulator 56 as needed to keep the surgical tool 22 on the desired trajectory.

[0082] While the robotic system 10 holds the surgical tool 22 on the desired trajectory, the user may then manually manipulate the surgical tool 22 to move (or cause movement of) the drill or bur along the line haptic object LH toward the bone to form the pilot holes for the screws. In some cases, such as in the haptic mode, the robotic system 10 constrains the user's movement of the surgical tool 22 to stay along the desired trajectory by providing haptic feedback to the user should the user attempt to move the surgical tool 22 in a manner that deviates from the line haptic object LH and the desired trajectory. If the user desires to return the manipulator 56 to a free mode, for unconstrained movement of the surgical tool 22, the user can then pull the surgical tool 22 back along the line haptic object LH, away from the patient, until an exit point of the line haptic object LH is reached.

[0083] The virtual objects (e.g., haptic objects) used to constrain the user's movement along the desired trajectory may also indicate, such as via haptic feedback, when the user has reach the desired depth of the pilot holes, e.g., reached the target point TP. Separate virtual boundaries could also be used to set the desired depths. In other cases, the robotic system 10 may autonomously drill the pilot holes to the desired depths. In further cases, the robotic system 10 may initially drill autonomously, but then final drilling may be done manually, or vice versa. Once the pilot holes are created, the screws can then be placed manually or with a driver of the surgical tool 22. In some embodiments, pilot holes 102 may be unnecessary and the screws can be placed over guide wires placed by the robotic system 10 or without any guidance.

[0084] Referring to Figures 13B and 13C, a pocket 174 may be formed in the humerus H by the surgical tool 22, i.e., an additional volume of material may be removed from the humerus H (e.g., with the bur 142), so that the base flange 152 is seated below the resection (in some cases only a portion of the base flange 152 is seated below the . resection). The pocket 174 may be defined by a separate virtual boundary for purposes of controlling the manipulator 56 when forming the pocket 174 and may be shaped to receive the base flange 152 in a mating relationship. In this case, the base flange 152 has a geometry that rotational locks the distal body 150 to the humerus H when inserted into the pocket 174 (see Figure 13C). In other versions, the distal body of the humeral component 102 could have ribs, waffle-patterns, ridges, cross-hatches, other non-circular shapes, and the like, that mate with corresponding features formed in the humerus H by the surgical tool 22 for further securing the distal body to the humerus H. In some cases, these features can be incorporated into the humerus H and the distal body to avoid the need for cement or other adhesives or fastening mechanisms. However, in other cases, cements, other adhesives, and/or fastening mechanisms can be used in addition to these features.

[0085] Referring to Figures 13D-13H, in other embodiments, a locking channel 176 could be formed in the humerus H by the surgical tool 22 to receive distal body 178. The distal body 178 has a locking flange 180 formed along a distal end. In some cases, the locking channel 176 and the locking flange 180 are arcuate in shape so that the locking flange 180 slides into the locking channel 176 along a curvilinear path. In other cases, the locking channel 176 and locking flange 180 are straight. The locking channel 176 may be formed with one open end or two open ends (as shown). The locking channel 176 may be formed in any orientation with respect to the humerus H, there could be multiple locking channels 176, and/or the locking channel 176 may be generally centrally located or may be offset to one side. Other variations of locking channels are also contemplated.

[0086] Once the locking flange 180 is placed in the locking channel 176, the remaining portion of the humerus H located above the locking flange 180 limits axial withdrawal of the distal body 178. Taper pocket 182 is provided in the distal body 178 shown in Figure 13E to receive the proximal body 114. Owing to the shape of the distal body 178, and the shape of the locking channel 176 formed in the humerus H, axial withdrawal of the distal body 178 is limited and rotation of the distal body relative to the humerus H is limited. In other embodiments, a humeral head component 184 like that shown in Figure 13F could be used, which integrates the proximal body 114 and distal body 178 into a unitary component. In another embodiment, such as that shown in Figure 13H, the distal body 178 comprises a reverse shoulder implant component for attaching to the humerus H. In this case, a hemi-spherical head component (similar to that shown in Figure 13F) is installed in the glenoid cavity G to interface with an articular surface of the distal body 178. In some cases, the implant components shown could comprise one part or multiple parts, e.g., in modular implant systems. For example, the distal body 178 shown in Figure 13F could comprise a base and an insert like that shown in Figures 22A and 22B below and/or could comprise additional fasteners, such as screws to lock the implant component to bone. Similar shapes and implant styles as those shown in Figures 13D-13H could also be employed for the glenoid cavity G and the glenoid component.

[0087] Drill, bur, or saw speed can be controlled by the user via the trigger or can be controlled automatically based on the particular location of the drill, bur, or saw relative to the patient's anatomy. For instance, a rotational speed of the drill may be set high during initial drilling into the bone, but may be slowed during further drilling into the bone, and set even slower during final drilling to the final depth.

[0088] Referring to Figures 14 through 19, preparation of the glenoid cavity G is illustrated. Preparation of the glenoid cavity G may comprise a combination of manual and robotic operations such as drilling, reaming, burring, and the like. As previously described, glenoid preparation can be done at any time in the procedure, and can be done immediately following humeral head HH resection, but before placement of the humeral component 102, after placement of the humeral component 102, or before preparation of the humerus H. In Figures 14 and 15, a retractor 199 is used to retract the humerus H and expose the glenoid cavity G.

[0089] Referring to Figure 16, a center hole 200 is first prepared through the glenoid cavity G. The center hole 200 may be defined by a virtual object, such as a line haptic object LH that defines the trajectory and stopping location for the center hole 200. The location of the center hole 200 could be defined pre-operatively/intra-operatively during planning. Alternatively, the center hole 200 could be located by virtue of capturing points on the scapula S with the navigation pointer 106. For example, the navigation pointer 106 could be used to outline a periphery of the glenoid cavity G and/or interior points of the glenoid cavity G. The virtual object for the center hole 200 (e.g., the trajectory) could then be automatically defined at a center/centroid of the outlined periphery and normal to the glenoid surface at that location. Likewise, screw locations, reaming patterns, etc. could be defined based on the information determined by the points that are localized with the navigation pointer 106.

[0090] A bur, drill or other accessory may be used in the surgical tool 22 to form the center hole 200 in the free mode (using visualization of the desired trajectory and depth as a guide), in the haptic mode (using haptic feedback to keep the surgical tool 22 on the trajectory and at a suitable depth), or in the semi-autonomous mode in which the manipulator 56 moves the surgical tool 22 autonomously along the trajectory to prepare the center hole 200 at the desired depth.

[0091] Owing to the attachment of the tracker 46 to the scapula S, the location of the working end of the surgical tool 22 relative to the glenoid cavity G can be visualized on the displays 28, 29, along with a visualization of the virtual object, such as the line haptic object LH. For instance, isometric, side, top, cross-sectional, or other views of a representation of the glenoid cavity G may be displayed with virtual representations of the line haptic object LH overlaid on the representation of the glenoid cavity G. Similarly, a representation of the working end of the surgical tool 22 can be displayed in relation thereto and updated so that the user is able to visualize, in substantially real-time, a pose of the surgical tool 22 relative to the glenoid cavity G and the associated virtual line haptic object LH, which also defines a virtual cutting boundary for the surgical tool 22.

[0092] Referring to Figure 17, once the center hole 200 is prepared, an appropriately sized reamer head 202 can be used on the surgical tool 22 to contour the glenoid cavity G to provide a desired contoured surface for receiving the glenoid component 104. The reamer head 202 has a distally protruding centering pin (not shown) that is seated in the center hole 200 to center the reamer head 202 and at least partially orient the reamer head 202 during reaming operations. Another virtual object may also be associated with the desired contoured surface of the glenoid cavity G so that the reamer head 202 is limited from penetrating beyond the desired contoured surface. As a result, in some versions, the center hole 200 may not be needed to locate the centering pin of the reamer head 202 as the manipulator 56 controls the location of the reamer head 202 based on the associated contoured surface virtual object.

[0093] Referring to Figure 18, peg holes 204 can be formed through the glenoid cavity G similar to the center hole 200. Each of the peg holes 204 may be defined by a virtual object, such as a line haptic object LH that defines the trajectory and stopping location for the peg hole 204. A bur, drill or other accessory may be used in the surgical tool 22 to form the peg holes 204 in the free mode (using visualization of the desired trajectory and depth as a guide), in the haptic mode (using haptic feedback to keep the surgical tool 22 on the trajectory and at a suitable depth), or in the semi-autonomous mode in which the manipulator 56 moves the surgical tool 22 autonomously along the trajectory to prepare the peg holes 204 at the desired depths. In some embodiments, one or more of the virtual objects may be active at a given time, inactive, or combinations thereof. For example, when preparing the peg holes 204, multiple, separate line haptic objects LH defining the desired trajectories are employed, but only one or more of them may be active at any given time so that the user and/or the manipulator 56 is able to focus on preparing one peg hole at a time. With only one line haptic object LH being active, then the manipulator 56 is able to lock the surgical tool 22 on that line haptic object LH without inadvertently locking onto a different, adjacent line haptic object. The user can also manually select, via the user interface for the navigation controller 26, which peg hole is to be prepared and the robotic system 10 can activate the associated line haptic object LH accordingly.

[0094] Referring to Figure 19, once the peg holes 204 are formed, the glenoid component 104 can be placed in the glenoid cavity G and secured by press-fit, bone cement or other adhesive, screws, or otherwise.

[0095] Referring to Figures 20 through 22, in some embodiments, the bur 142 may be used to shape the glenoid cavity G into the desired shape. Furthermore, the bur 142 may be employed to shape the glenoid cavity G as shown in Figure 20 or may be used to form alternative shapes in the glenoid cavity G. For example, the glenoid cavity G may be shaped in a manner that provides a rotational lock between the glenoid component and the scapula S. The glenoid component may comprise ribs, waffle-patterns, ridges, cross-hatches, other non-circular shapes, and the like, that mate with corresponding features formed in the glenoid cavity G by the bur 142 to secure the glenoid component to the scapula S. In some cases, these features can be incorporated into the glenoid cavity G and the glenoid component to avoid the need for cement or other adhesives or fastening mechanisms. However, in other cases, cements, other adhesives, and/or fastening mechanisms can be used in addition to these features.

[0096] Figure 20 illustrates that a volume of material has been removed from the scapula S using the bur 142. As a result, a pocket 210 is formed in the scapula S for receiving glenoid base component 212, shown in Figure 21. The glenoid base component 212 comprises a base flange 214 that has a plurality of rotational locking features 216 designed to seat in the pocket 210 and prevent rotation of the glenoid base component 212 in the glenoid cavity G. The locking features 216 are shown as arms of a cruciform design, but alternative forms of locking features 216 could be employed, e.g., the base flange 214 may be formed in any shape that has a locking feature for engaging the scapula S in a manner that limits rotation. The locking features may comprise ribs, waffle-patterns, ridges, cross-hatches, other non-circular shapes, and the like, that mate with corresponding features formed in the glenoid cavity G.

[0097] In the embodiment shown, a central anchor 218 depends distally from the base flange 214 to seat in a separate pocket 220. In other embodiments, the anchor 218 may be offset from center to prevent rotation (such as when the base flange 214 is circular), multiple anchors may be present, or the like. Various forms of anchors, such as pegs, screws, and the like may be employed. For example, the base flange 214 may comprise one or more separate openings to accommodate one or more screws to fix the base flange 214 to bone. The base flange 214 may be formed of metal, such as any suitable metal implant material, plastic, combinations thereof, and the like.

[0098] Referring to Figures 21 and 22, the glenoid base component 212 may further comprise a plurality of snap-fit features, such as ribs 222. The ribs 222 are shown disposed at the outer ends of the arms of the cruciform design in a circumferentially spaced manner to receive a secondary glenoid component 224 shown in Figure 22. Of course, in other embodiments, such as when the base flange 214 is circular, the ribs may extend completely circumferentially about the base flange 214. The secondary glenoid component 224 may resemble the glenoid component 104 shown in Figure 19, but without the pegs, and is adapted to provide an articulation surface like the glenoid component 104. The secondary glenoid component 224 comprises one or more distally projecting detents 226 shaped and arranged to engage the ribs 222 in a snap-fit manner. In the embodiment shown, the detents 226 are shaped to snap-lock to the ribs 222 to inhibit removal of the secondary glenoid component 224 once snapped into place.

[0099] As shown, by virtue of controlling the bur 142 in a manner that allows for accurate creation of the pocket 210 to receive the glenoid base component 212, various configurations of glenoid base components and secondary glenoid components are possible. In the version shown, for instance, a predefined gap of desired depth is provided between the glenoid surface surrounding the base flange 214 and the ribs 222, so that the detents 226 are able to engage the ribs 222 and suitably rest in the gap when snap-locked.

[0100] In other versions, such as that shown in Figures 22A and 22B, another glenoid base component 232 may be seated in pocket 230 formed by the bur 142. The glenoid base component 232 comprises a base 233 and a peripheral rim 234 extending proximally from the base 233 to define an insert cavity. When installed in the glenoid cavity G, the rim 234 is flush with, slightly distally setback from, or slightly proud of the prepared and/or surrounding glenoid surface (see Figure 22B). A peg, taper, screw, or other type of anchor 235 may depend distally from the base 233 and may be offset from a center of the base 233 to further rotationally lock the glenoid base component 232 to the scapula S and/or to limit axial withdrawal of the glenoid base component 232 from the scapula S. For example, the base 233 may have openings sized to receive screws to further fix the base 233 to bone. The anchor 235 could also be cannulated to receive a screw therethrough for fixation. The glenoid base component 232 could be further seated in the pocket 230 with a press-fit, cement or other adhesive, fasteners, or the like.

[0101] Secondary glenoid component 236 is inserted into the insert cavity within the periphery of the rim 234. In this case, when installed, the secondary glenoid component 236 may have an upper surface 237 that is flush with or slightly proud of the rim 234. The secondary glenoid component 236 may be formed of metal or plastic material, similar to the glenoid component 104. The secondary glenoid component 236 may be attached to the glenoid base component 232 with adhesive, by press-fit, snap-fit, taper lock, or by another fastening mechanism. In some cases, the glenoid surface surrounding the glenoid base component 232 is contoured by the bur 142, reamer, or other tool. In other cases, the surrounding glenoid surface may be untouched, i.e., the only bone removed from the glenoid cavity G is to form the pocket 230.

[0102] Referring to Figures 23 and 24, another surgical tool 240 is shown for use in grasping and manipulating implant components. The surgical tool 240 forms part of an end effector that is attachable to the manipulator 56 such that the manipulator controller 54 is able to control positioning of the surgical tool 240 in the same manner previously described for positioning the surgical tool 22. As a result, the robotic system 10, via the surgical tool 240, is able to precisely position the implant components, such as any of the implant components previously described. Such positioning may include positioning the implant components through incisions in the patient to locate the implant components at desired locations, e.g., at desired locations on the patient's anatomy, within prepared pockets in bone, at desired locations with respect to other implant components, etc.

[0103] The surgical tool 240 comprises a coupler 242 configured for coupling to the manipulator 56, such as by fasteners, clamps, or any other suitable coupling mechanism. A housing 244 extends forward from the coupler 242. A pair of fingers 246 are movable relative to the housing 244 and each other to engage the implant component (represented generally at 248). The fingers 246 are elongated in shape and have a slim profile to facilitate movement into and out of the incision in the patient. In some embodiments, the fingers 246 have a thickness of 5 millimeters or less, 3 millimeters or less, or 1 millimeter or less.

[0104] The fingers 246 comprise an extension portion 250 and a gripping portion 252 shaped to engage the implant component 248. The gripping portions 252 may curve toward one another as shown in Figure 24 to engage the implant component 248. Each of the gripping portions 252 may also comprise a gripping pad 254 to facilitate a frictional grip on the implant component 248. The gripping pad 254 may merely be a roughed surface of the fingers 246 or may be a separate component. The fingers 246 may be formed of metal, plastic, or combinations thereof. The gripping pad 254 may be formed of metal, plastic, elastic material, or combinations thereof.

[0105] Springs 256 bias the fingers 246 toward one another into engagement with the implant component 248. The springs 256 are arranged between the housing 244 and the fingers 246. An actuator assembly 258 is operable to move the fingers 246 from their engaged position to a disengaged position to release the implant component 248. In the embodiment shown, the actuator assembly 258 comprises an actuator 260 and a drive rod 262 configured to be moved by the actuator 260. The drive rod 262 has a distal end 265 shaped (e.g., ball-shaped) to engage cam portions 263 of the fingers 246. The actuator 260 may be a linear actuator and may be electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, or combinations thereof. The actuator 260 may be controlled by the manipulator controller 54 or a separate controller. A button (not shown) or any other suitable input device may be in communication with the manipulator controller 54 or other controller to cause the controller to output a signal to the actuator 260 to move the drive rod 262 in a desired manner. Operation of the actuator 260 may also be automated in some cases. When the drive rod 262 is extended by the actuator 260, the distal end 265 of the drive rod 262 engages the cam portions 263 and, upon further linear extension of the drive rod 262, the distal end 265 urges the fingers 246 apart to their release positions. It should be appreciated that other configurations of the surgical tool 240 are possible. For instance, the fingers 246 may comprise loops at their distal ends for grasping the implant component, additional fingers 246 may be employed, other types of actuators may be used to control movement of the fingers 246 such as separate actuators for each finger 246, only one finger 246 may be movable relative to the housing 244 while the other remains stationary, and so on.

[0106] Several embodiments have been discussed in the foregoing description. However, the embodiments discussed herein are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to any particular form. The terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings and the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

1. A robotic surgery system (10) for preparing a bone of a shoulder joint to receive a shoulder implant (102), the shoulder implant having a proximal body (114), a distal body (120), and a locking member (126), the robotic surgery system comprising:

a robotic manipulator (56);

a cutting tool (22) to be coupled to said robotic manipulator;

a localizer (34) configured to track movement of said cutting tool and the bone; and

a controller (26, 54) coupled to said robotic manipulator and said localizer, said controller configured to operate said robotic manipulator to control movement of said cutting tool relative to the bone based on one or more virtual objects (V1, V2) associated with the shoulder implant,

wherein said one or more virtual objects define a volume of material to be removed from the bone to form a first cavity (130) sized to receive the distal body of the shoulder implant and to form a second cavity (132) sized to receive the locking member,
the second cavity defining an undercut in the bone whereby the locking member is movable from an unlocked position in the first cavity to a locked position in the second cavity to limit withdrawal of the shoulder implant from the bone.

2. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to operate said robotic manipulator to control movement of said cutting tool based on said one or more virtual objects to form the second cavity about an implant axis (IA) so that the locking member is rotatable about the implant axis from the unlocked position to the locked position.

3. The robotic surgery system of claims 1 or 2, wherein said one or more virtual objects are sized and shaped so that the locking member is rotatable at least 10 degrees about the implant axis to move to the locked position,
wherein, as an option, the locking member is rotatable at least 30 degrees about the implant axis to move to the locked position.

4. The robotic surgery system of any of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more virtual objects are sized so that a distal portion of the volume of material to be removed from the bone extends below an anatomical neck (AN) of the bone and terminates above a diaphysis (DPH) of the bone so that a substantial portion of a humeral canal of the bone remains intact after the shoulder implant is fully seated in the bone.

5. The robotic surgery system of any of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more virtual objects comprise a virtual cutting boundary.

6. The robotic surgery system of claim 5, wherein said robotic manipulator is operable to generate haptic feedback to the user based on a position of said cutting tool relative to said virtual cutting boundary.

7. The robotic surgery system of claim 5, wherein said robotic manipulator is operable in a haptic mode in which a user manually manipulates said cutting tool to form the first cavity and the second cavity and said robotic manipulator generates haptic feedback in response to the cutting tool reaching or exceeding said virtual cutting boundary, or
wherein said robotic manipulator is operable in a free mode in which a user is allowed to freely manipulate said cutting tool beyond said virtual cutting boundary.

8. The robotic surgery system of any of the preceding claims, wherein said robotic manipulator is operable in an autonomous mode in which said controller operates said robotic manipulator to control movement of said cutting tool autonomously along a tool path to form the first cavity and the second cavity.

9. The robotic surgery system of any of the preceding claims, wherein said controller is configured to:

determine positions of a plurality of landmarks on the bone;

define a virtual resection plane in a coordinate system based on the positions of the plurality of landmarks, the coordinate system being registered to the bone; and

define said one or more virtual objects in the coordinate system based on a location of the virtual resection plane,

wherein, as an option, the controller is configured to:

define a virtual intramedullary axis of the bone in the coordinate system prior to forming the first cavity and the second cavity; and

define the virtual resection plane in the coordinate system based on a location of the virtual intramedullary axis.

10. A method for planning the placement of a shoulder implant (102) performed by a controller (26, 54) of a robotic surgery system (10) with a robotic manipulator (56) and a cutting tool (22) coupled to the robotic manipulator to prepare a bone of a shoulder joint to receive the shoulder implant, the shoulder implant having a proximal body (114), a distal body (120), and a locking member (126), the planning method comprising the step of:

planning movement of the cutting tool relative to the bone based on one or more virtual objects (V1, V2) associated with the shoulder implant to form a first cavity (130) in the bone sized to receive the distal body of the shoulder implant and to form a second cavity (132) in the bone sized to receive the locking member,

the second cavity defining an undercut in the bone whereby the locking member is movable from an unlocked position in the first cavity to a locked position in the second cavity to limit withdrawal of the shoulder implant from the bone.

11. A robotic surgery system (10) for preparing a bone of a shoulder joint to receive a shoulder implant system (100), the shoulder implant system having a proximal body (114), a distal body (120, 150, 178), and a locking member (126, 180), the robotic surgery system comprising:

a robotic manipulator (56);

a cutting tool (22) to be coupled to said robotic manipulator;

a localizer (34) configured to track movement of said cutting tool and the bone; and

a controller (26, 54) coupled to said robotic manipulator and said localizer, said controller configured to operate said robotic manipulator to control movement of said cutting tool relative to the bone based on one or more virtual objects (V1, V2) associated with the shoulder implant system,

wherein said one or more virtual objects defines a volume of material to be removed from the bone to form a first cavity (130, 176) sized to receive the distal body of the shoulder implant and to form a second cavity (132, 176) sized to receive the locking member,
whereby the locking member limits withdrawal of the shoulder implant system from the bone.

12. The robotic surgery system of claim 11, wherein said controller is configured to operate said robotic manipulator to control movement of said cutting tool based on said one or more virtual objects to form the first cavity about a first axis and to form the second cavity about a second axis oriented at an acute angle relative to the first axis.

13. A method for planning the placement of a shoulder implant system (100) performed by a controller (26, 54) of a robotic surgery system (10) with a robotic manipulator (56) and a cutting tool (22) coupled to the robotic manipulator to prepare a bone of a shoulder joint to receive the shoulder implant system, the shoulder implant system having a proximal body (114), a distal body (120, 150, 178), and a locking member (126, 180), the planning method comprising the step of:

planning movement of the cutting tool relative to the bone based on one or more virtual objects (V1, V2) associated with the shoulder implant system to form a first cavity (130, 176) in the bone sized to receive the distal body of the shoulder implant and to form a second cavity (132, 176) in the bone sized to receive the locking member,

whereby the locking member limits withdrawal of the shoulder implant system from the bone.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising planning movement of the cutting tool based on the one or more virtual objects to form the first cavity about a first axis and to form the second cavity about a second axis oriented at an acute angle relative to the first axis.

15. A computer program product comprising program code portions to perform the steps of any of claims 10 and 13 to 14 when the computer program product is executed on one or more processing devices.

Drawing